Napoli opened up a three-point cushion at the top of Serie A after grinding out a narrow triumph over Lecce.
The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when David Neres swung in a free kick and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa rose highest to glance his header past the goalkeeper from close range.
Before that, the hosts had a golden opportunity to take the lead just after the hour mark. Teenage striker Francesco Camarda stepped up to take a penalty, only to see his attempt pushed away by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
The Napoli goalkeeper’s stop continued his impressive record, with the Serbian having now kept out five of the last nine spot-kicks he has faced in the league.
De Bruyne’s absence and next challenge
The game marked Napoli’s first outing since Kevin De Bruyne sustained a serious thigh injury, an issue expected to sideline the Belgian playmaker for an extended spell.
Despite the setback, Antonio Conte’s men showed resilience and control to secure all three points and maintain their momentum at the summit.
Next up for the league leaders is a home clash against Como on Saturday, kicking off at 17:00 GMT, where they will look to strengthen their title credentials further.
Milan held again in Bergamo
Elsewhere on Tuesday, AC Milan were frustrated once more as they drew 1-1 with Atalanta. The result moved the Rossoneri into third place, level on points with Roma in second.
Samuele Ricci handed Milan an early advantage when his long-range strike deflected into the net inside the opening four minutes.
But Atalanta responded midway through the first half, with Ademola Lookman smashing the ball into the roof of the goal to equalize.
It was the seventh stalemate in nine league outings for the Bergamo side, who continue to find consistency elusive this season.
